FEATURED IN THIS WEEK’S MVCAN NEWSLETTER (7/30/20):

UPCOMING EVENTS AND ACTIONS

MVCAN AUGUST ZOOM MEETING - Sun. Aug 9, 5pm - 6pm
SPECIAL SPEAKER: NATIONAL CO-FOUNDERS of “BLACK VOTERS MATTER” Plus Elections 2020 update and more!
AMAZING AIRLIFT POWER HOURS - JOIN IN VIRTUAL PROGRAM FOR AIRLIFT - Wed. Aug 12 and Sun. Aug 16
BUILD THE BLUE WAVE - UPCOMING VIRTUAL PHONE BANKS AND TRAINING plus FRIEND-TO-FRIEND VOTER OUTREACH
WRITE VOTER POSTCARDS TO BATTLEGROUND STATES
MILL VALLEY DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION TASK FORCE UPDATE: ATTEND CITY COUNCIL MEETING - Mon. August 3, 6:30pm.
VIRTUAL MEETING OF MVCAN HEALTH CARE TEAM ON COVID-19 ISSUES - Thursday, July 30 - 7pm
MVCAN IMMIGRATION/ CIVIL RIGHTS MEETING
- Sun. Aug 9, 4pm - 5pm (right before MVCAN August Meeting)
NETROOTS NATION VIRTUAL CONFERENCE - ATTEND THE PREMIERE PROGRESSIVE NATIONAL CONVENTION! Thurs. Aug 13 to Sat. Aug 15

WHERE WE’VE BEEN AND WHAT WE DID

MVCAN JULY MEETING FILLED WITH INSPIRING SPEECHES & COMMENTARY
RACIAL JUSTICE REPORT BACK FROM MILL VALLEY CITY COUNCIL MEETING - July 20
MVCAN LAUNCHES 2020 ELECTORAL TASK FORCE TO ENGAGE VOLUNTEERS FOR NATIONWIDE VOTER MOBILIZATION

UPCOMING EVENTS AND ACTIONS

1 MVCAN AUGUST MONTHLY MEETING ONLINE

SUNDAY AUGUST 9, 5pm - 6pm

MVCAN and Airlift, the mighty grassroots fundraising group and sister organization of MVCAN, are working together to promote racial justice, and to support organizations that are dedicated to turning out the Black vote in 2020. Together we’re excited to support BLACK VOTERS MATTER. We’re just 100 days away from November and nobody is working harder than BVM to make sure their voices are heard.

We’re hosting a live interview with the co-founder of Black Voters Matter (BVM).

Join us to hear about the voting game plan of Black Voters Matter across Florida, Alabama and North Carolina.

THE ULTIMATE POWER-BUILDING ORGANIZATION

The work of Black Voters Matter boosts Black turnout in elections at every level. BVM goes to places that national politics don’t know or care about—but where many Black voters live. The group’s on-the-ground work pushed Doug Jones’s race over the finish line to become the first Democratic Senator elected in Alabama in over 27 years.

Don’t miss this presentation to find out how Black Voters Matter will be instrumental in turning out the Black vote in November.

PLUS HEAR THE LATEST FROM THE MVCAN 2020 ELECTIONS TEAM:

Also at the meeting, MVCAN strategists from the Electoral Team will give an update about the national and state electoral landscape and our action strategies to make victories happen.

Plus, hear the latest on Mill Valley City politics and the new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Task Force news.

HOW TO LOGIN TO MVCAN MONTHLY MEETING:

Join our Zoom Meeting Sunday, August 9 from 5:00- 6:00 pm by clicking on this link:

JOIN ZOOM MEETING

PASSWORD: 794670

MEETING ID: 604 160 426

(We will be sending out 1 more reminder with Zoom link before the meeting )

Need more help? During the meeting you can get assistance with Zoom:

Type into the Zoom Chat Box to reach Bernard Catalinotto.
Text or Call Larry Litvak 415-595-0030

Airlift is proud to be supporting this fantastic group Black Voters Matter as one of its portfolio of grassroots organizations around the country in swing states - they make change happen 365 days a year!

2 AMAZING AIRLIFT POWER HOURS - JOIN IN VIRTUAL PROGRAM FOR AIRLIFT - Wed. Aug 12 and Sun. Aug 16

What are Power Hours about?

We're all nervous about the election in November, and we have reason to be. Trump’s knee is on the necks of voters in communities of color, and we need to win big in November.

MVCAN’s sister organization Airlift supports a set of community-based grassroots groups across battleground states that find and engage unlikely voters (the exact ones we need to show up if we're going to win). These groups not only register and mobilize hundreds of thousands of new voters, they also ensure these voters feel civically engaged. Voters who feel like they are truly part of the process turn out at triple the rate of voters who register but are not engaged.

TWO POWER HOUR EVENTS

Airlift is throwing two virtual events on August 12th & August 16th that offer all the information you need to know about their strategy and groups. After an inspiring 25 minute presentation, we promise you'll feel hopeful about 2020 and relieved to know about the work of these amazing (and highly effective) groups.

Airlift is offering the same program on two days to accommodate everyone's busy summer schedules:

Power Hour Virtual Meeting

Wednesday, Aug 12 - 5:00pm PT

REGISTER HERE

Power Hour Virtual Meeting

Sunday, Aug 16 - 4:00pm PT

REGISTER HERE

Grab a glass of wine (for real) and join us (virtually) to learn more from the people powering Airlift.

✊ Feel free to invite anyone who may want to make a difference with you.

3 2020 ELECTION PHONE BANKS/TRAINING - THRU AUGUST 16

& FRIEND-TO-FRIEND VOTER OUTREACH

Building the Blue Wave

We have less than 100 days until November 3, the most important election in our lifetime. This is the time to step up and get training and experience in having person-to-person conversations with voters. As President Obama said recently at the virtual grassroots event with VP Biden, “Whatever you’ve done so far to win this election isn’t enough.”

PHONE BANKS & TRAINING - HOSTED BY DEMOCRACY ACTION MARIN / MARIN FOR BIDEN

On Saturdays, phone banks are hosted by Democracy Action Marin and co-hosted by Sister District. Join us to make calls to flip the Senate, hold the House and win state governments together — from home on Zoom. You’ll receive your Zoom link after you register.

On Sundays we lead phone banks for Biden For President.

To participate in the Zoom Phone Bank, please have your charged cell phone AND a laptop, iPad or tablet along with your earbuds with a mic.

Remember, our experienced coaches are always on hand to guide you from start to finish.

PHONE BANK TRAINING

If you’ve been wanting to start phone banking but are anxious about using Zoom or dreading the technology of phone banking, this is the training for you. We’ll start with a review of Zoom basics and then walk through the process of phone banking. One-on-one training is available.

Training: Phone Bank Basics/Technology - Sun. Aug. 2, 12pm - 2pm

TRAINING TO WIN 2020 - FREE 4 HOUR TRAINING

Ready to pivot to virus free, online electoral action? Training to Win 2020 is here to help you navigate pandemic-induced challenges in traditional grassroots activism and field organizing, to boost the total number of voters reached and volunteers recruited in 2020.

We'll hear from some phenomenal speakers including Congressmembers Karen Bass, Adam Schiff, Dan Pfeiffer of Pod Save America and more to be announced!

Saturday, August 1, 10am - 1:45pm PDT

Register at Training To Win 2020

THERE WILL BE NO PHONE BANK AUGUST 1ST, SO VOLUNTEERS CAN ATTEND “TRAINING TO WIN 2020.”

SATURDAY VIRTUAL PHONE BANKS

Virtual Phone Bank - Sat., Aug. 8, 3pm - 5pm

Co-Hosted with Sister District Marin

Virtual Phone Bank, - Sat. Aug. 15, 3pm - 5pm

Co-Hosted with Sister District Marin

SUNDAY VIRTUAL PHONE BANKS FOR BIDEN

Make calls with the Biden Campaign to voters in battleground states. Hosted by DemAction Marin and Marin For Biden.

Virtual Phone Bank for Biden - Sun., Aug. 2, 3pm - 5pm

Virtual Phone Bank for Biden - Sun., Aug. 9, 2pm - 4pm (Note new start time: 2pm)

We’re starting at 2pm from now on so we can use the NC Dialer.

Virtual Phone Bank for Biden - Sun. Aug.16, 2pm - 4pm (Note new start time: 2pm)

For more information on Democracy Action Marin’s wide variety of electoral activities and for more info about the phone banks, please contact Marti Cermak at marti.cermak@gmail.com.

RECRUIT “VOTE TRIPLERS” FOR THE 2020 ELECTION

Research has established that the most powerful reminder to vote is a reminder from someone you know. A “Vote Tripler” reminds three people they know (ideally irregular voters) to vote. A “Recruiter for Vote Tripling” asks friends, relatives and associates in battleground states to be Vote Triplers!

To win in November, we need regular people in key states to hold their friends, neighbors, and family accountable to vote. You can make it happen — and you can do it now. Reach out to five people you know in states that matter and ask them to commit to reminding three friends to vote in the fall.

Become a Voter Tripler:

To learn more about how to recruit Vote Triplers and to enlist in MVCAN’s campaign, please go HERE.

4 WRITE POSTCARDS TO BATTLEGROUND STATES

More than 2,500 MVCAN members and other supporters are now writing postcards at home (from all over the US) using voter data provided by RECLAIM OUR VOTE, which is a nonpartisan voter registration and Get-Out-The-Vote campaign. This campaign reaches out mainly to voters of color on Unregistered and Inactive lists in key voter-suppression states.

MVCAN’s group of postcard writers are a mighty part of a large and impactful postcard army of 25,000 that write to voters of color for Reclaim Our Vote (ROV). Year to date, there have been 250K postcards from our group and 2.8M from all the Reclaim Our Vote writers!

CURRENT CAMPAIGN: WRITE POSTCARDS TO TEXAS

A “Pledge To Vote” for Texas is in process with a tool to aid early voting. The “Pledge-To-Vote” effort has two goals: to elect Democrats in November and to develop an in-state activist army (as was done in Virginia) that will keep the state’s Democratic efforts moving forward. Studies show that acts such as pledging to vote are potentially the first step to becoming an activist.

NEW POSTCARD WRITERS:

New writers - please contact team leader Larry Bruser at politicallarry326@gmail.com to get started.

Current writers - please stay with your existing Team Lead.

5 MILL VALLEY CITY COUNCIL MEETING: TUNE IN TO SUPPORT BLACK LIVES MATTER ISSUES

Monday, August 3rd - 6:30pm

MVCAN’s Working Group on Racial Justice is providing oversight and input to the Mill Valley City Government and the formation of the new city Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Task Force. This is part of an ongoing effort, in the wake of huge Mill Valley protests, to show the City Council that the community still cares passionately about how Black Lives Matter related reforms are proceeding.
We are pleased that the city has taken some significant initial steps. However, little genuine progress has yet to be demonstrated, and there are current shortcomings that we are addressing. For instance, the city has promised transparency on the DEI Task Force, including allowing the public to attend meetings once the task force is up and running. However, the working group of city officials that are planning the DEI Task Force have been meeting behind closed doors. MVCAN considers it critical that the initial decision-making about the set-up, membership, funding and functional responsibilities of the task force should be transparent and subject to community input. Due to community pressure, the city council has now agreed to publicly introduce the consultant they are hiring for the task force and allow questioning by the public during the Aug 3 city council meeting.
THREE ACTIONS YOU CAN DO:
Please attend the virtual Mill Valley City Council Meeting on Monday, August 3, 6:30pm. For instructions on how to sign up for the Zoom meeting, see the section below “HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN MILL VALLEY CITY COUNCIL MEETING.” Numbers count! Just tuning in will show the strength of our commitment!
Attend the in-person rally at the Mill Valley City Hall at 5:30pm on Mon, August 3 prior to the Mill Valley City Council to demonstrate support for Black Lives Matters issues.
Additionally, as always, you can submit a written comment to cityclerk@cityofmillvalley.org no later than 4:00 P.M. Monday, August 3. These comments will be distributed to the City Council and will become part of the public record but will not be read aloud during the actual meeting.
QUESTIONS STILL OUTSTANDING FOR THE MV CITY COUNCIL, AUG 3 MEETING:
Please feel free to ask the following questions at the August 3 meeting or speak out about related topics that concern you. The more participants we have, the more the City Council will get an impression of high community interest and strong demands.
On August 3, the City Council will introduce its professional facilitator for the DEI Task Force to the community. We will be able to have exchanges in real time with the facilitator. What are the qualifications, scope of work required, and cost associated with this facilitator?
The facilitator is tasked with choosing which individuals (out of the 50 applicants) will end up on the task force, as well as the total number allowed. What criteria will be used to decide? How will the total number of task force members be determined? Will the membership include unincorporated Mill Valley and Marin City residents or all the Black, Indigenous or People of Color (BIPOC) who applied to be on it, for example?
Who controls the $30,000 budget? Can there be money budgeted now to pay stipends to task force members that can't otherwise afford to be volunteering for hours every week?
What is the consultant’s vision for the task force? Will they allow for the DEI Task Force to have its own agency in terms of organization, leadership, agenda and outcomes? What if any limits will be placed on the task force in terms of its power to have the City enact changes? What do they envision the duration of the DEI TFnto be?
The Marin IJ article dated July 25, 2020, on the new MV Police Chief, Lindsay Haynes, stated that the DEI Task Force itself will directly address the MV Police Department. According to the article, the task force will be “analyzing police department budget, policies, procedures and training, and discussing the possibility of sharing services.” Is this true? Can this happen at the inception of the DEI Task Force?
The Marin IJ Sat, July 25 also said that City Manager Alan Piombo would issue an interim report on these MVPD issues at the August 3 meeting, even though he previously said he would only report on the “8cantwait” list compliance at that time. Will he address these other questions as well?
HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MILL VALLEY CITY COUNCIL MEETING
How to attend the city council meeting on Mon, August 3 at 6:30pm using Zoom in a webinar format:
Click on cityofmillvalley.org/gov/agendas/watchonline.htm
Clicking this link will take you to the “Meeting Videos and Agendas Archive” page. Scroll down to “Upcoming Events” and select “Agenda,” next to the “City Council Meeting Aug 3.” On the Agenda page, click on the link that lets you participate remotely. (Note: if the “Agenda” link is not yet posted, it will be in a day or so.)
GUIDELINES FOR MAKING COMMENTS AT THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING (ZOOM):
Everyone is allowed one two-minute comment during the meeting or about 200 words written.
When you first join the Zoom meeting be sure to pick the “test your audio and microphone” option. At the last meeting some participants who wished to speak had problems, because their audio was turned off.
In real time (only) during the meeting, use the “Raise Hand” function in Zoom (or press 9 if you are calling in on the phone) to let the City Clerk know you want to speak. The City Clerk will select you from the meeting queue when it is your turn to address the Council.
Alternatively, you can use the eComment Program www.cityofmillvalley.org/eComment during the meeting, and your submission will be read aloud at the meeting by the city clerk. (eComments are limited to 2 minutes of reading aloud)
6
VIRTUAL MEETING OF HEALTH CARE TEAM ON COVID-19 Thursday, July 30 - 7pm
The relaunched MVCAN Health Care Team is meeting again after a hiatus and welcomes new members.
Health Care Team Zoom Meeting
Thursday, July 30 - 7 pm
To sign up, email: Elyse Foster at fosterel22@gmail.com.
HEALTH CARE MEETING TOPICS
At our meetings, we are addressing the following issues:
Assisting with COVID- 19 surge, specifically in the Canal District - advocating for testing to increase availability and turnaround time, as well as enhancing abilities to isolate and quarantine. Help advocate for basic financial support for residents through the County and non-profits.
Educating about mask wearing - using public announcements and posters to educate the public. Exploring the possibilities of targeting mask wearing behaviors in high school students and younger residents.
Impact of COVID crisis on maternal health - Marin Health/Marin Community Clinic.
“Doctors/Health Professionals” for Biden - coordinate with the Biden campaign and Democracy Action about holding breakout phone banking on health issues.
Promoting voter registration - in ERs and health clinics.

7
MVCAN IMMIGRATION / CIVIL RIGHTS ZOOM MEETING
Sunday, August 9, 4pm- 5pm

This meeting will take place right before the MVCAN monthly meeting and has its own zoom link below.
The MVCAN Civil Rights/Immigration Team is working especially hard during Covid-19 to support the immigration community locally and statewide.
The meeting will address immigration issues relating to Covid:
Difficulty providing places for residents of the Canal Area to isolate when diagnosed with Covid19.
Items needed by families as they cope with job losses and virus issues. A list will be provided and a place to donate in southern Marin.
Also, there will be updates on the Mill Valley City Council DEI Task Force, the Marin Organizing Committee and Marin Moms Demand Action for Gun Safety.
IMMIGRATION/CIVIL RIGHTS ZOOM MEETING
Sun. Aug 9, 4:00 - 4:55pm
(right before MVCAN monthly meeting)
Join Zoom Meeting
If you have questions, please contact team lead Barb Rowe at barbrowe@aol.com.

8
NETROOTS NATION VIRTUAL CONFERENCE
Thurs. Aug 13 to Sat. Aug 15

This is a great opportunity to attend the fabulous Netroots Nation Conference from home!
For more than a decade, Netroots Nation has hosted the largest annual convention for progressives, drawing 3,000+ attendees from around the country. Netroots Nation 2020—the 15th annual conference—is set for August 13-15 (Thursday thru Saturday) and will be held virtually.
Register for the conference at netroots nation.org.
Attendees are organizers, grassroots activists, campaigners and media types, and they can choose from engaging panels, practical training sessions, inspiring keynotes and lots of networking and social events.
The presenters are a phenomenal range of experts - majority minority - who are pathbreakers working in every imaginable corner of elections and the broad progressive landscape. MVCAN attendees from the past few years have been BLOWN AWAY by the experience - so take advantage of the ability to attend virtually!
Past speakers include Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Stacey Abrams and more!

WHAT WE'VE BEEN UP TO!
1
REPORT FROM MVCAN JULY MONTHLY MEETING
with POSTED VIDEO

At MVCAN’s July meeting more than 70 supporters heard the riveting talk by the co-founders of LUCHA, Alex Gomez and Tomas Robles, from Arizona about how their extraordinary model of grassroots organizing has taken off.

People were so moved that, between MVCAN members and Airlift donors, we raised MORE THAN $14,000 for LUCHA!

If you missed the meeting, check out the Zoom video on the mvcan.org website - click on Report From The Front Lines: July 2020

2 REPORT FROM MILL VALLEY CITY COUNCIL MEETING - July 20

More than 40 people, many from Marin Youth for Justice and MVCAN supporters gathered on the City Hall lawn before and during the latest Mill Valley City Council meeting. Many contributed live during the meeting via audio and email to express a range of concerns about Mill Valley police, the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Task Force formation process, and other BLM and equity issues.
The input made a strong impression on the City Council that community interest is high and that close community observation of the City government and the new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force will be ongoing.
3
MVCAN LAUNCHES 2020 ELECTORAL TASK FORCE
The MVCAN 2020 Electoral Task Force is now working to engage more of our 1,000+ MVCAN members in efforts to mobilize voters in battleground states. The Task Force consists of twenty-one individuals who are calling and emailing MVCAN members to explain how they can get involved in phone banking, texting, postcarding, friend-to-friend outreach, and donating to Airlift.
If you are interested in helping with the Electoral Task Force, please contact Larry Litvak at llitvak@aol.com.

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JOIN AN ACTION TEAM

WANT TO GET MORE INVOLVED in a specific issue or support area? Much of MVCAN's work is done in one of our 10 awesome action teams. Click the team name to read their latest news and find their next meeting.

Civil Rights/Immigration battles for justice and fair treatment of women, immigrants, working people and followers of all faiths.

Communications works on strategy, branding, messaging and program development for MVCAN. They are looking for bright ideas and people who want to make them happen.

Eco Warriors are engaged in change at the local, state and national levels, to impact the CA carbon tax, climate change, and community outreach and action.

The Economic Action team runs AIRLIFT, our first national project. AIRLIFT funnels money to grassroots groups in winnable 2018 districts. These are seriously vetted groups that work all year round in their communities–they get tangible results without blowing through millions of dollars. Read about Airlift in the Huffington Post .

Electoral The Electoral Team is still hard at work to take back our country in battleground states all over the country...preparing for next year's general election. We're canvassing, calling, texting and sending letters & postcards to defend our hard-won House seats and take back the Senate. Our team of experienced electoral volunteers will help get you started to talk to voters to make sure they are registered and ready to VOTE THEM OUT. We feature Voter Communication training and we'll coach you every step of the way. Join us to take back our country!

The Events team creates special events to engage our friends and neighbors to take political action with MVCAN.

Health Care is forging ahead after their successful fight over the repeal/replace of ACA.

Tech supports MVCAN through technology.

Women's Rights fundraises and canvasses for NARAL and Planned Parenthood; supports women in public office(s); and engages in local, state and federal legislation for women's protection and rights.

NEW TO MVCAN?

Visit MVCAN.org to learn about the organization and strategies, join a team, read past MVCAN newsletters, and gain helpful Resistance tools.

WANT TO VOLUNTEER YOUR SKILLS OR TALENTS?

Numerous positions and jobs are available – one-time or ongoing. Contact volunteer@mvcan.org.

Thank you for all you do!
– June, Bernard, Eileen, Rebecca, and everyone at MVCAN

MVCAN News brought to you by June, Annie and Eileen